Gujarat MLAs pine for theplas, to get a cook

The 42 Congress legislators from Gujarat ensconced at a resort outside the Karnataka capital are homesick. Somuch so that the party is bringing in a Gujarati chef to take care of their special food needs.

Karnataka power minister DK Shivakumar said a Gujarati chef is being arranged for the legislators so that they feel at home. “Some have even expressed the desire to cook and asked the resort for permission, even that has been granted,” Shivakumar said.

The Congress has brought its legislators here from Gujarat to ward off an alleged poaching effort by the BJP, in view of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Gyasuddin Shaikh, MLA from Dariapur in Ahmedabad, told HT that there was no problem with their stay.

“All the arrangements are great. But there is bound to be a difference in cuisine,” Shaikh said. “We Gujaratis have food that is not very spicy. We like roti, dal and kadhi, so there is a change,” Shaikh said.

“We get south Indian dishes for breakfast like dosa and meals consist mostly of rice. In Gujarat, we are not used to consuming much rice, we prefer roti,” Shaikh said.

Shaikh said a typical Gujarati breakfast consists of bhakhri and thepla, and lunch, of dal, roti and a dry vegetable dish with just a small portion of rice. A typical meal in Karnataka, on the other hand, either consists of ragi balls or rice.

Regarding their stay, Shaikh said the legislators were feeling very restless about the situation in Gujarat. “It pains us to hear the news of the flood. We are itching to go back because of the work that has to be done there,” Shaikh said.

CONG HAS BROUGHT ITS LEGISLATORS HERE FROM GUJARAT TO WARD OFF AN ALLEGED POACHING EFFORT BY THE BJP